Late Summer, into Fall

 The sky here can be so gorgeous

 We had only been to the close by lake beaches but I was really craving the ocean so we drove a little further (about 30 minutes) to go to Alki Beach in Seattle. The water was a lot colder than the lake but it was great. Alki beach is where Tom Hanks runs around with Jonah and their dog!

 Had to capture the day that my kids are fighting over avocado. It took about 50 tries throughout their lives. It was the food they both gagged at as babies and now they love it! It has made me a believer in making kids at least TRY everything!

 I tried to collect and grow a lot of plants and killed most of them. One day, one day I will be a fantastic gardener! just you wait!

 I was feeling the desire to go see my family. I hadn't seen them since going to the funeral for Jonathan. So, just me and Isla went down.

 At this time, Isla didn't know how to swim at all (she does now, yay!) but she was holding onto the side in a shallow area by steps so I felt relaxed....too relaxed. I had looked down at my book and when I looked up she was about to drown, so I quickly grabbed her, scraping up my knee. Her hands were flailing and it just sounded like splashing and her mouth was just barely going in and out of the water. We were pretty shaken up! Lesson learned. She has had a weekly private swim lesson every since and she is really coming along!

 We went out to eat with my family and returned to their condo and out on the balcony, it was totally decked out with balloons, a birthday banner, a cake, presents, etc! the works. The only thing was, whose birthday was it?! Isla asked. Well they were celebrating her half birthday, ha! She was in heaven, like Christmas morning, I was just dying. My parents are such fun.

 I had been dying to swim in the ocean and lay out in the sun. I had been dreaming about it, it had been too long. I even put on sunblock but I didn't reapply it....and I got SO burned....like beet red. The locals would smile and ask if I had been out having fun on the beach.....

 We all went to different movies, ha! My mom, Isla and I went to The Hundred Foot Journey and it was the BEST! I just adored it.

 Isla started kindergarten! She loves it. Her best friend Madeline is in her class.

 We loved watching the Peter Rabbits hopping around our yard all summer.

 This park is right next to the mall in Bellevue. We went over to eat our Mcdonalds and it was so gorgeous out...there were people playing a game in those big clear balls, and then there was a group of people with dogs, about 20 of them, most super cute! Steve was out of town and we were just wishing he was there bc it really was heavenly.

 Now that Isla is in school in the mornings, me and Sam get some one on one time.

 Sam loves his oatmeal

 Isla did soccer too (she was utterly exhausted 24/7 for all of September) Steve coached and it was so fun to watch, Sam was so into it. More than Isla was actually.

 I need to make this again. This pizza has BRIE and then potatoes and arugala and prosciutto on top.